Carbonizing process



c A'RBoNIZING PROCESS l Filed ,Feb 27, 1925 Ill, rlllllllIIlllI/l n llllll/l/llllI/llh wvantoz f `Patented Nov.-11,.1930

UNITED STATES PATENT ori-ICE WALTER EDWIN TRENT, F NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR-TO-TRENT PROCESS COR- PORATION, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A CORPORATIONF4 0F DELAWARE eARBoNI'zINe rnocsss The invention relates to a process of and apparatus for, carbonizing or lcoking comminuted coal, or mixtures of coal and hydrocarbon oils.

'5 It is an object of the invention to provide a process in which coal or coal and oil mixtures orliquid hydrocarbons are carbonized while in a receiver or pan by heat applied thereto by vheat storing eleinen'ts disposed in 1 heat conductive contact with the receiver,

thereby eliminating the a plication of cemvbustion gases directly to t e materials being treated.

More specifically, the invention contemplates 'a process of this type wherein bulk `quantities of coal or coal and oil or oil are moved through a distilling, carbcnizing or coking zone while in heat conductive rela tion with removable beat storage elements 2o heated to a definite temperature when disposed adjacent the conveyor to apply a determined quantity of heat to the materials being treated.

' In accordance with the present process the materialsbeing treated may be carbonized,

' or if a coking coal is used these materials can form a coke mass, the density and stren th de ending upon the rate of heat trans er to 51e mass and to the applied temperature. a

In the drawings,-

Figure l represents a view partl in longitudinalverticalvsection and art y in side elevation of an apparatus capa le of carrying out this process.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the pan.

' fFig. 3 is a view of a slightly modif-ledA form o an.

eferrin now more particularly to the drawings, 1n which I have shown somewhat diagrammatieally an apparatus that may be successfully used the numeral 1 designates a carbonizing or coking chamber. This chamber has a sprocket 2 therein, around which an endless conveyor 3 carrying the metallic pans 4 passes. The conveyor atits opposite end passes around a sprocket wheel 5 located exteriorly of the carbonizing chamber and at this point the pans l receive their bulk 5o charges of coal or plastic mixtures of coal and oil. l yThe conveyor. with the 'pans passes through apertures 6 in the wall of the distilling chamber and throu h these apertures some air may he permitte( to enter the inte.- rior o1 the chamber as I have found that oxygen is needed to carbonize the material. When working at low tem eratures, if casehardening or only semi-ear onization of coal i out of the' dist-illing chamber 1 a cool ele' ment is removed from the pocket beneath the pan and a hot element substituted in lieu thereof. At this time a green charge of material is placed in the pan and the pan with its charge then enters and passes through the distilling or carbonizing chamber 1. During the travel of the pan through this chamber the heat from the storage element carriedthei-eby passes through.` the bottom wall of the pan at a determined and re ulated rate,

slowly applying heat to the bul material a in each pan, causing the same to carbonize. The eoal particles in some instances will form a coherent mass, particularly if coking coal is used, or if a mixture of coal and oil is used and it the temperature and time of treatment are regulated. l

If the char e is subjected to a high temperature and t e wall of the pan and size and temperature of the heat storage element is suitably designed to giveup its heat in the least possible time, the mass will be distilled at the maximum rate and both ases and conrdensable'vapors will result an at times this 9 type of operation is desirable when the final form of the solid carbonized residue is not required to be either hard or dense. Such an operation is often desirable in order to obtain a soft, friable, carbonized mass later to chamber and as each pan passes around the sprocket 2 the treated material discharges into a trough l0 in communication with an outlet conduit ll leading to the exterior of the distilling Zone. This conduit may be controlled by a gate valve l2. Gases and vapors generated in the distilling chamber are discharged through the pipes 13 communicating with the header 14 and collected for subsequenttreatment and use.

ln accordance with this process it Will be observed that bulk supplies of material can be fed to the pans as they enter the distilling chamberand at the same time the heat storage elements are also placed beneath each Iilled pan. -These heat storage elements can be heated to various temperatures depending upon the product desired. For a partial carbonization low temperature carbonization of the coal can be effected, and when such an operation isbeing practiced, the heat storage elements are heated to a temperature suilicient to raise the temperature of the coal to, say, 600 centigrade. If the coal, however, is to be dry-coked or entirely .carbonized, the heat storage elements are heated to raise the temperature of the coal to 800o 0r 900 centigrade. Gases and vapors driven from the coal are dischargedthrough the lines 13 and 14 for subsequent treatment and collection.

The treated product remaining in the various pans after` their travel from the inlet tothe distilling Zone to the .sprocket 2 is discharged into the receiving trough l0 and this f carbonized product is then Withdrawn from -the chamber as desired through the manipulation of the valve disposed in the outlet conduit leading from theV discharge trough.

It Will bel apparent that in carrying out this process any form of) apparatus can be used. It is not necessary that the pans be movable as the heat storage elements can be applied to stationary receivers into which coal is deposited, and it Will be appreciated that the' apparatus vherein disclosed has merely been shown for the purpose of illustrating one type of apparatus which Will support theprocess. The heat storage elements can also be constructed of any desired material, and any suitable means may be employed for removing and inserting the elements into ,the poclrets formeel in the pans.

In the modified structure shovvn in lligfl, I provide a pan in Which the false bottom is eliminated. ln this structure l place the heat storage elements directly on the base of the pan and retain these elements in position by retaining channels 7 beneath Which the heat storing elements slide. ln this proc-- css the fuel charges are introduced directly on the heat storing elements.

menare Having thus described the invention, What l claim is:

l. A carbonizing process comprising progressively advancing through a distilling zone a series of containers, introducing a predetermined charge of carbonaceous fuel matter to each container, providing for each container a removable storage element of a size sufficient to store heat units required to carbonize the fuel charge'of each container, heating each element to a predetermined temperature before application to its container and moving s aid elements through the distillmg Zone With the containers to effect carbonization-of fuel charges in the containers solely by the heat radiating from said heat storage elements.

2. A earbonizing process comprising progressively advancing through a distilling` container, heating each element to a predetermined temperature before application to its container and moving said elements through the distilling zone With the containers to effect carbonization of fuel charges in the containers solely by the heat radiating from said heat storage elements.4

3. A carbonizing process comprising providing a series of containers and a heated element for introduction to each of said containers, heating said Lelements to a temperature sufficient to carbonize fuel-.charges placed therein Without the application of additional heat thereto, introducing said elements to said containers, introducing carbonaceous fuel to the series of containers in contact With said elements, progressivel advancing said containers through a distiling zone, and successively discharging the containers Within said Zone.

Il. An apparatus for use in the heat treatment of carbonaceous materials comprising an endless conveyor, a distilling Zone enclosure enclosing a substantial portion of the upright run of the conveyor' and havin means to discharge volatiles therefrom, bul r supply receptacles mounted at spaced int-ervals on said conveyor each having a hole in the side Wall near the bottom thereof and adapted to receive a bulk supply of carbonaceous material prior to its entry. in the said enclosure, a hopper for receiving the residue from the receptacles at the dumping end of said conveyor Within said enclosure, and heat transferring plates insertable through said holes in heat transferring relationship With said bulk supply and adapted to give up heat to the carbonaceons materials constituting said bulk supply during 'the pas- Ilm sage of each individual receptacle through l l the distilling zone.

5. An apparatus for use in the heat treatment of carbonaceous materials comprising an endless conveyor a distilling zone enclosure enclosing a su stantial portion of the upright run of the conveyor having means to discharge volatiles therefrom, bulk su ply receptacles mounted at spaced interva on said conveyor and adapted to receive a bulk supply of carbonaceous material prior to their entry to the said enclosure, a hopper for receiving' the residue from the receptacles at the dumping end of said conveyor within said zone, and heat transferring elements adapted to be heated and to store lsufficient heat to carbonize the bulk supply in each receptacle during its passage through said enclosure, and means for maintaining such van element in each receptacle in heat transferring relationship with said bulk supply durin the assage of each individual receptacle t roug the distilling zone.

6. In an apparatus for carbonizing fuels, the combination with a conveyor, a distilling chamber enclosing a substantial part of said conveyor, means on the conveyor for carrying bulk supplies of carbonaceous fuel, heat transferring elements adapted to be heated and'to store sufficient heat to carbonize the bulk supplies of fuel on the conveyor during passage thereof through the distilling charnber, and means for removably supporting said heat transferring elements on said conveyor in heat transferring relationship with said supplies of fuel during passage through the distilling chamber, and means for receiving and Vdischarging the products of carbonization produced in said distilling chamber. In testimony whereof I ailx my signature.

, WALTER EDWIN TRENT. 

